1. When you thought CrossFit, what came to your mind (before you joined)?

I knew it was something I wanted to do; the first word that came to mind was 'CHALLENGE'. In knowing I wanted to try it, I made the mistake of believing I needed to work up to it before joining. I took up running in earnest, joined the Y and since the summer months 'put in my time' gearing up. Not that it wasn't worthwhile but it was time wasted! A month in, I'm not sure you can work your way to it unless you own your own equipment and already know what you need to know to lift safely! Given the changes I'm already seeing, just a month in, i wish I'd skipped all that 'prepping' and had joined sooner! The coaches make all the difference...a hundred hours at the Y and I couldn't have coached myself through an overhead squat or power clean to save my life!

2. How many people know you're doing this CrossFit thing? (First rule: always talk about CF). People are already telling me that it's all I talk about anymore if that tells you anything! I couldn't talk about it enough mostly for the fact that even I was shocked at what my body was accomplishing; if I didn't believe it, I knew others wouldn't either and so I had to share! Out of a few folks I've heard 'you pay to do that?!' when I've described a WOD that I found particularly difficult or challenging! The accompanying face is always entertaining! I think when people think CrossFit, they think of the CF Games and what they've seen on ESPN; the Rich Fronings and Camille Bazinet's of the CrossFit world are incredible (I can't watch enough YouTube videos of these folks!) but it can skew people's perception of what it is to be a CrossFit athlete; it's hard for some to conceptualize actually doing a CrossFit workout based on what they've seen on TV! It doesn't stop me from gushing however! I have very definitely followed the first rule of CrossFit!

3. When do you typically WOD?

I gravitate toward banging it out first thing in the morning at 6AM but I've met some great athletes at the noon group WOD as well!

4.Tell us one thing we don't know about you from your high school days.

High School...I'm coming up on my 20th reunion and my memory is starting to show some wear and tear but I'd say that I was pretty typical as a high school kid in the 90s; you know, New Kids on the Block and spiral perms but my first love was Soccer. I played from 5th grade forward through high school; still some of my best memories come from nights out under the lights and on the field working with the ball!

5. Best thing you've learned about this experience: I mentioned that the first thing I considered when I thought of CrossFit was the challenge associated with it. I grew up an athlete but endurance sports are different; I feel like the challenge was physical back in my younger years...As a middle aged gal, I find that the challenge is so much more about controlling your mind than proving your physicality. What I've learned is that the old adage that says 'where there's a will, there's a way' couldn't be more true. Can I master every movement the first time out (or second, third or fourth)? No...not even close but I can will myself to accept the challenge to give it my all every time and push through! Its a concept that's bridging into all facets of my life; the more I tune my mind to the challenge of completing the day's WOD, the more likely I am to face and square up with the rest of the challenges in a given day! What I've learned is an incredible amount about myself...and I couldn't be more encouraged!